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T
he
Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Fitness Wellness Unit
is working diligently to address this issue through education, training,
and research. The Fitness Wellness Unit is studying this issue with the intent
to provide valuable insight about fatigue and its relationship to human per-
formance for our commissioned personnel. The results of the research have
been integrated into our training and development for trooper recruits and
into ongoing training for existing DPS officers via a multi-faceted approach.
Following is a summary of this process.
Determining the Level of Fatigue
The first step to understanding fatigue among our officers is to ask the
hard question: How tired are they? In October of 2015, DPS conducted an
agency-wide voluntary questionnaire to address sleep, fatigue, sleep disor-
ders, and safety. Of the agency’s 9,195 employees, 2,805 participated in the
survey. Roughly 40 percent (1,165 employees) of respondents were com-
missioned law enforcement officers. The response demonstrated that our
employees are interested in this issue.
According to our survey:
• 10 percent of commissioned employees are getting the recommended
of 7-8 hours of sleep per 24 hour period.
(1)
• 4 percent of commissioned employees working rotating shifts are
getting 7-8 hours of sleep per night.
Officer fatigue is a critical safety and performance
issue that historically has received minimal attention
by law enforcement organizations. Those of us in the
profession see it and acknowledge it, but what have
we done to address it?
AN EYE-OPENING
APPROACH TO
ADDRESSING OFFICER
FATIGUE
OFFICER SAFETY AND WELLNESS
The Executive Board of the FBI National Academy Associates is dedicated to
furthering the conversation on officer safety and wellness issues that impact
the law enforcement profession. Moving forward, members can expect articles
in each Associates Magazine that highlight challenges that are inherent to the
profession and present solutions to those looking to enhance their own
personal resiliency or that of their agencies.
Lacy Wolff
continued on page 22
www.fbinaa.org